Memories
by NuttyScribbler
Summary: In the end, there were only memories to send him off on his final journey. A take on Naruto's thoughts as he was fighting Sasuke. Spoilers for Ch.233. One Shot


Memories

By Nutty Scribbler

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Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the friggin' Chapter 233. You can kill Kishimoto for that. –grr-

Warning: Ch 233 spoilers. Death fic.

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"_How can I forget him? He was my rival, my best friend, the brother I never had. My betrayer"_

_- Naruto, Second Best Chapter 1_

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I never thought it would end this way.

I had always looked forward to fighting you. By fighting you, I hoped to establish the two of us as equals, as peers. Maybe it will turn me into someone you can respect.

In my fantasies of fighting you, I imagine we would be fighting in front of a large crowd, like the matches during the chuunin finals. The crowd would cheer us on but we wouldn't care, because we were too caught up in the exhilaration of the fight.

In the end, only one of us would be standing but both of us would be smiling.

We would part as friends, and when we are both old and toothless, we would meet again at the training posts where we passed our genin exams and reminisce the good old times.

Never in my wildest imagination did it occur to me that we would be fighting here, in a place like this; in the Valley of the End, in a match to the death.

In the end, only one of us would be standing, but I didn't think we would be smiling.

You have transformed into a monster with huge wings. I have become a demon with sharp fangs. We are no longer Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto of Konohagakure but yet, a part of me still remembers the memories from happier days of long ago.

It wasn't that long ago, but at that moment between life and death, it seemed like a lifetime ago.

Memories flooding my brain and blinding my eyes. So many memories; of the three of us waiting for Kakashi-sensei, of me impersonating you, of us quarrelling, of our accidental kiss, of us going for missions...

Of us co-operating to free Kakashi-sensei, of us trapped in Haku's mirror jutsu, of me yelling at you during the chuunin exams when you wanted to surrender the scroll, of you jumping in front of me and taking Haku's attack...

Just as my rasengan-charged hand was about to hit your chest, where your heart was – my chakra enhanced hearing could detect the thundering beats of our hearts – another memory from long ago replaced the monster in front of my eyes.

"_You alright, Scaredy cat?"_

You and that God annoying smirk. My hand moved away from the targeted area. I don't know why it moved; maybe this was what you meant when you told me once that your body moved on its own. But I knew I would never be able to kill you, not the one who was the first to willingly share their lunch with me. To break your bones and bruise your flesh yes, but I could never bring myself to put you into eternal sleep.

My hand moved to touch your forehead protector.

The naïve part of me reasoned that if I was able to prove you wrong, to prove that I was able to touch your forehead protector, everything would turn out alright. A more rational theory would be that, if I was able to prove you wrong, you would realize that you did not need Orochimaru to become stronger.

After all, with Konohagakure, even a dead last like me is able to become strong enough to touch the forehead of a genius.

I touched the cold metal just by a fraction; one sharp claw grazing the shiny surface, leaving a scratch behind.

It made me smile, seeing that scratch. I'm finally good enough to touch your forehead.

The next thing I knew, or felt, it was of something crashing into my chest. I think it was your hand.

It hurt a lot; it hurt more than that bespectacled traitor's attack. It was as though someone had taken a thousand red hot brands and thrust them against my chest. I felt as though I was electrocuted by lightning.

My vision's dimming. I see you though, although I think there are three of you. Or is it five? I'm not sure. Did you manage to copy my Kage Bunshin without me knowing?

You've returned to normal and not that ugly freak of nature Orochimaru had turned you into; the old pretty boy Uchiha Sasuke with your God annoying smirk that all the girls love.

But you weren't smiling.

"Don't look so sad," I want to say. "Everything will be okay. We'll go home together and make Kakashi-sensei treat us to Ramen. Then we'll go train and Tsunade-baasan will send us on more missions that will make us stronger..."

Darkness clouds over and I feel myself hitting the cold floor. My senses are becoming duller and I think it is raining. I'm not sure, but flesh is becoming numb and I'm so very cold. I can hear you speaking though.

I want to call out, "Don't go. Don't leave us. You're one of our precious people," but I couldn't open my mouth.

Is this how dying feels like? My body's growing cold and I can't breathe. No matter how much I try to force myself to inhale, I can't do it.

But I'm starting to remember. It's like going through a photo album of my life. So many pictures and you're in so many of them; sometimes you're in the foreground and sometimes you're in the background. It didn't matter; you were always present in my life. I couldn't help but remember that I had always thought it was unfair that he is a handsome genius.

I can hear your footsteps fading. It made me want to call out, "Don't go. Don't leave us. You're one of our precious people," but I couldn't open my mouth.

I suppose I should be angry with you, but surprisingly, I'm not. In the end, I'm all alone, with only memories to send me off on my final journey.

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Post-Talk:

On a mad writing spree. I don't' usually write angst, but... grrrr... this is just so... gr...

:: am reduced to a pile of angry blabbering pool of unresolved frustrations ::


End file.
